In Woe
by WaitingForWHO
Summary: To bridge the gap between Merchant and Seam, Marriage contracts have been put in place. Of course, Marriage contracts mean little in the eyes of the Capital and Reaping
1. Chapter 1

**Welp, I finally got a Bluetooth keyboard, so I am back, probably with the most unoriginal story on this site, but I need to get back in the hang of things, so here it is!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not in anyway shape or form own Hunger Games, merely changing some details and putting a spin on things**

The knock was what sounded the time to leave. My mother put one last pin in my hair, smoothing out the blue dress while Prim ran to the door, her excited voice traveling through the small house.

Peeta was here.

My mother started to guide me out, but i shook off her arm, barely suppressing my anger. Now was not the time to be sentimental.

"Are you going to make cheese buns? And those dips of frosting that melt in your mouth? I just love those!" Prim's' voice was raising as she babbled, talking about the celebratory feast. Peeta had promised her her favorites, in reward for marking it through her first Reaping.

"Prim," my voice called out, announcing my presence, Peeta beaming smile at Prim turned shy as he took me in. I was hardly ever this dressed up. No one was in District 12.

"Hi, Katniss," He said, his kind smile, one that was turning familiar, aimed at me. I nodded in response, today was not one for smiling. "I thought I could you to the square?" It came out as a question, doubt lacing his tone, though it had every reason to be there, Prim's' Widening eyes sealed the deal, she would give up goat milk for a week if it meant a afternoon in public. Already he was her favorite sibling, and he wasn't even apart of the family.

Yet.

Nodding my consent, I slip on the shoes my mother held out to me, taking Peeta's' arm, Prim's' hand clasped tightly in his.

I feel like I am in a funeral party, no matter how many bright streamers decorate the building in the merchant part of the District. Today two names would be called. Two fates sealed for death.

Prim is unhappy to be separated from us, making Peeta promise one more for cheese buns, before our mother showed her to the front where the other twelve-year-olds are waiting. Nearly all the ones from the Seam are shaking, their clothes thinner and dirtier than the ones from the Merchant class. Most likely they have taken out extra slips for food, to make it to the next year, until the process starts again.

A women, far to brightly colored in the grim fog of District 12, stands on the stage. The mayor had just finished the obligatory speech, People clap out of fear of the Peacekeepers more than actual enjoyment, if you can find any at all.

Her words accented by the ridicules Capital accent. Flourishing her hand, she walked over tot he girls, and I start begging, to whom I don't know, the reality of the situation crashing down. Please not me, pleasenotmepleasenotme-

"Primrose Everdeen."

My heart is choking is my throat, I feel someone behind me clasp my arm to keep me from falling. And then I see her. Small timid steps, her shirt falling out of her skirt, her little tail-

"I volunteer!" My voice wrenches out of my throat, and I'm running, shoving a screaming Prim behind me. "I volunteer as tribute!"

Shocked silence, even Effie Trinket, the woman of many words seems to have lost her voice. "Well," She starts, clearing her throat, "Normally we wait until all tributes are called, and then, um," She trails off. This was not a often occurrence in 12, hell, this wasn't even near rare. It was unheard of. Never spoken of, or tried.

"Oh, let her up," Says the Mayor, "She volunteered,". Something akin to kindness is in his voice. We have met in passing, when I sell my strawberries to him, but we have never spoken out of making a deal.

Prim, still screaming her head of, is ripped from behind me, a glance back reveals Gale having her trapped in his arms.

I drown out the humming of the cameras, the wailing my little sister, my little duck.

When I reached the stage, Effie Trinket is gushing, talking how brave I am, guessing, correctly, that Prim is my sister.

Obviously she has amazing deducing skills.

And, though I know I wouldn't take it back for the world, I can't bring myself to meet Peeta's' gaze, that is burning a hole in the side of my head.

As Effie walks to the other side of the stage, toward the boys, I give myself 5 seconds to get a grip on my emotions.

1

For my mother

2

For Prim

3

For Gale

4

For myself.

5

For

"Peeta Mellark!"


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN this chapter will take place in third person, for various reasons.**_

"Katniss!" Peeta shouted, slamming his fist on the door repeatedly. She hadn't spoken to him after his name was called, sitting in silence through the car ride to the station, and immediately locking herself in the bedroom that was pointed out to her. It had been a hour.

"Katniss, please, speak to me," Peeta pleaded, he was switching through tactics, yelling, pleading, practically sobbing. The room remained silent.

"I honestly don't understand what all this chatter is about," Effie said, for nearly the tenth time. Haymitch had gone to the drinking car right after Katniss disappeared, leaving Effie with marks of confusion in her makeup.

Peeta fell to his knees, begging her, coaxing her, to come out.

"Peeta!" Effie called in her ridicules accent. "Come eat! We must have you at a presentable weight."

Peeta mustered every fiber of hatred he had in him, which quite honestly, wasn't much, to glare at her. He was always the first to calm down, to cool a situation. But, the impending arrival of his imminent death seemed to have flown that out the window.

He opened his mouth, fully prepared to take a page out of Katniss' book, when he was slammed onto his hands from the opening of Katniss' door.

"Katniss," he breathed. She had a look he had only seen a twice. Once at her mother, the other at Gale, from the last time they spoke.

She didn't say anything, instead, grabbing his arm, and pulling him in the compartment.

"That is highly improper!" Effie cried before the door closed behind him.

Her hair was sticking out of all over the place from the delicate braid her mother put in this morning, her dress rumpled. She moved over to the window, crossing her arms, watching the forest pass by at amazing speeds.

Peeta moved up behind her. She tensed when he put his hand on his shoulder, fingers curling into a fist, but she didn't shake him off.

"Katniss-"

"One of us has to win, Peeta." Her voice was hoarse, but to the point.

"I will get you out-"

She cut him off again, spinning to face him, eyes blazing. "No, whether I live or die is not up to you, not in there. You can't bring me a bread and fix everything like at Twelve. One of us has to get out," She swallowed harshly, moving to sit on the bed.

"Prim has her goat, she can sell its cheese, its kid, but I know my mother. It is one thing to know you are never seeing a loved one again, its another to see them murdered." Her eyes found his, "Promise me, promise you will take of Prim." She swallowed, shaking.

He clasped her hands in both of his, rubbing the back of her knuckles, "Katniss, you know what my mom said to me before we left? 'District Twelve might finally have a victor'. She wasn't talking about me, she was talking about you."

Her jaw clenched, but she let him hold her hands, the familiar scent of cinnamon and dill invading her. Even among the heavily perfumed room, he scent calmed her. Soothed her.

Ripping her hands away, and wiping the sweaty palms against her skirt, she whispered, "Just promise me, Peeta." Her voice cracked on his name, and she sniffed, trying to regain herself.

"I promise," Anything to give her piece of mind, anything to help her feel better about the future.

They sat there, the only noise being the swishing of the trees against the window. Minutes, hours passed, before they were called for supper.

Effie somehow managed to wrangle Haymitch to the table, though he didn't seem to be one for idle conversation. Effie started to chatter on about schedules, the capital, anything to fill the car with noise.

Peeta and Katniss held hands under the table, his thumb running over the small yellow stone in her ring. Back and forth. Back and forth.

It was a custom in 12 for the ring to be presented on the girls 16th birthday, to announce their engagement, though hardly ever did the girls get a stone. It was usually just band of iron, but Peeta had spent his life savings on making sure she had something special, different. Yes, the stone was set in iron, but getting the little stone had meant the world to him. She had fought him on it at first, only backing down when he promised to help her start a herb garden for her mother, something she had wanted to do, but never had the chance.

Peeta would be the first to admit he had never had anything as good as the food served on the train, eating mostly stale bread, and the game Katniss brought when she felt she could spare some.

The were both gorging themselves, Effie nearly screeching about manners. But all fell still around them, when Katniss slipped her hand out of his to reach for another lamb chop.

Haymitch whistled, coming out of stupor slightly, "Well, I'll be damned, if we don't have a little couple on board."

Effie's sentence was less organized, "What-What is that?" Pointing a shaking nails, though truly they were talons, at her hand.

Katniss snapped her back under the table, taking the meat with her, smearing her skirt. She jumped up, wiping her mouth with a napkin, before taking off toward her room again. Peeta wanted to go after her, but knew she could only take so much intrusion in a day.

Effie demanded answers, after all, it was practically unheard of to be engaged at 16, most marriages take place well into their thirties in the Capital, when people felt their looks were going out of style.

But as Peeta rose, heading to his own room, he did hear something curious.

"I might be able to work with this."

 **I am extremely unhappy with this chapter, but this is the first i've written in forever, seriously, my last work was posted in like 2013, so, i am rusty. But, slowly, the chapters will get longer, better written. Please bear with me, and read and review**


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